The Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria has issued a stark ultimatum to the federal government, threatening a nationwide naked protest on October 6 if outstanding pension increments and palliatives are not implemented.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Alhaji Mukaila Ogunbote, National Chairman of the coalition and leader of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NIPOST chapter), said the government has until the end of September to settle arrears, implement approved increments, and pay pending palliatives.

“If nothing is done, we will have no choice but to take to the streets unclothed. This will expose the failures of government and the hardship we face,” Ogunbote declared.

He reminded the federal government that in October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved ₦35,000 for workers and ₦25,000 for pensioners as palliatives. While workers were paid within a month, pensioners are still waiting nearly a year later.

According to him, despite Tinubu’s directive for a further ₦13,000 pension increase, the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General have failed to implement it.

“When we enquired, we were told our ₦32,000 increment was omitted from both the 2024 and 2025 budgets. This is injustice,” he said.

Pensioners at the briefing shared emotional testimonies of hardship, describing how many retirees could not afford food or life-saving medication.

Fashola Oluwo, a retired information officer, called for sanctions against officials who have failed to carry out the president’s directive, while Dupe Ogunniyi, a pensioner from the FRCN, appealed to the First Lady to intervene.

Former Lagos NUP chairman Adebola Akinduture summed up the pensioners’ frustration:

“We are hungry. Food is medicine, and without food, medicine is meaningless. Pensioners are starving.”

The coalition vowed that if the federal government fails to act, pensioners across the country will stage a naked protest to dramatize their plight and draw urgent attention to their demands.